Conveyor belts are popularly used in a number of different industrial fields to provide continuous motion of goods during manufacture, shipping, and other processes. Industrial conveyor belts generally include a series of spaced apart rods connected via a series of interlocking links which are welded to the rods. For the manufacture of small items, the rods may be covered with a fabric, plastic, or metal overlay, such as a mesh, to prevent the small items from slipping between the rods and falling to the manufacturing floor. A typical conveyor belt 10 is shown in FIG. 1, which corresponds to FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,188, which is incorporated herein by reference. Conveyor belt 10 includes rods 20 connected by links 22 covered by a mesh 14.
In some cases, a buttonhead 32 may be formed on the ends of rods 20 to act as a stop for links 22. A weld is also typically formed between buttonhead 32 and link 22 for a stronger and more secure connection between rods 20 and links 22. In other cases, a buttonless configuration may be employed, wherein the rod is welded to the link without creating a significant protrusion beyond the leg of the link. In either type of cases, the weld and/or the buttonhead may contact a drum or other device that propels or guides the conveyor belt by contacting the sides of the conveyor belt. This contact with the sides of the conveyor belt can cause wear of the belt components. In some cases, welds and/or buttonheads may be worn down and/or broken off due to contact with the drum, leading to failure of the belt.
Systems have been developed to reinforce conveyor belts against wear from drums and other types of belt propulsion devices. For example, some systems include links having outer legs with extensions that extend from the leg beyond the buttonhead, cover over an end face of the buttonhead, and contact the drum. However, this type of system may be more complicated to manufacture and/or assemble. In addition, this type of system may use a significant amount of additional material, which may add expense, and/or weight.
The present disclosure is directed to improvements in wear prevention features for conveyor belts.